Jenny Morel
Founder and Managing Director of No 8 Ventures a company that invests in young New Zealand high growth companies, ranging from telco software companies to early stage human pharmaceuticals biotech.
Several of these companies have grown to be international with significant operations outside New Zealand.
Jenny Morel, an economist whose career has included a stint with the OECD in Paris, founded No 8 Ventures Management in 1999. For No 8 Ventures, Jenny is a director of the Martin Aircraft Company – producer of the Martin Jetpack and Open Cloud, which provides a platform for rapid deployment of new telecommunications services.
Jenny also founded and runs the annual Morgo conference, a gathering of people building high growth companies from New Zealand.
Before No 8 Ventures Jenny built a niche investment bank to work with technology companies in New Zealand. She has also been a director of a number of large companies, including NZ Rail, Centreport, the Rural Bank, Trust Bank, NZ Trade and Enterprise and AgResearch and has been a member of the Council of the Institute of Directors in New Zealand, the New Zealand Arts Council, and the Government's ICT Taskforce. She has been Chairman of the Hi-Tech Association which organises the Hi-Tech Awards in New Zealand.
In 2006, Jenny was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business. In 2011 she was given an award at the Hi Tech Awards for her Outstanding Contribution to the Industry. In 2012 she was named a Wellington Icon at the Gold Awards.
Jenny now divides her time between Singapore and New Zealand where she lives with her husband ex-Governor of the Reserve Bank Alan Bollard.